Latch-drop device for telephone-switchboards.



Pa tented May I, I900.

E. E. YAXLEY 8v. 6. C. CADDEN. LATCH URI)? DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE SWITCHBDARDS (Application filed Supt-15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNESYEF. YAXLEY AND cinemas c. (JADDEN, or ..l(A(t0, ILLINOIS, As

SIGIORS TO THE VICTOR 'llCLlIIllONE SAME PLACE.

MAN lil Atf'lUltlNG COMPANY, OF

LATCH-DROP DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE-SWITCHBOARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,647, dated May 1, 1900. Application filed September 15,1899. Serial No. 730.5%. (No model.)

To 1.0M lU/MHIL 17/; III/II coltcr'ln' Beitknown that We,lIRNES'lE. Y.'\ X LEV and CHARLES C. Canoes, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latch-Drop Devices forTelephone-Switchb0ards,of which the following is a specification.

Our object is to provide a novel and par-- t-icularly-dcsirable construction of latch-drop device for signaling the operator at a telephone-switchboard.

Ourimprovcd construction of latch-drop is shown in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure i represents a IJIURCH ortion of a telephone-switchboard equipped with several of our improved latch-drop devices, one of which is shown in section. Fig. 2 is a view :0 of the same in rear elevation, and Fig. 3 a diagrammatic representation of thcimproved latch-drop in a eircuitbctween a snhscribers telephone and the switchboard. On the face of aswitchboard ft of any suitable general construction are drops 1:, pivotallysupported at their lower ends between bars I) i), to fall, when relcascd,as hereinafter described, into horizontal position, at which they are stopped and supported by rest-pins (I, projecting from the switchboard below each drop. Adjacent to each pivotal drop there is provided an opening (1, extending through the switchboard, behind which is removably supported, in the manner hereinafter describcd, an electromagnetfof usual or any suitable construction involving a core wound with insulated wire. Rods g and 7t, preferably of brass, project backward rigidly from the switchboard along each electromagnot, respectively above and below the same, and all'ord means for supporting the magnet in place from its rear end. The magnet is inclosed, to protect it and render it dustproof, in an iron shield i, at the rear end of 5 which isaclosingdisk-shaped head/,of insulating material, having fastened to it by metallic screws 6 metal clips in, each having the two, preferably curved, arms IL and. o, through whi h, respectively, the screws /.1 and I pass into the head j, and an arm through 5L which it is fastened by a screw (1 into the end of the respectively-coiucidcnt rod. "lhesc clips in form the magnet-terminals. l orsupporting the magnet at its forward end a pin '1' is shown projecting from the corresponding end of the core into the'back of the switchboard. \Vithin the shield, in front of the magnet-core, is the armature s, pivotally rest ingat its lower V-shaped edge in a correspondingly-shaped hearing A on the inner wall of '60 the shield, and the pin r passes through an opening shown (see Fig. l) in the armature and tends to prevent displacement; of the armature, as by jarring. A witch n, which' Ina} be composed or brass, pro ects r1gidly'65 from the upper end of the rocking armature through the switchboard-opening c and engages at its forward end with the upper edge of the drop 0, as at a notch therein, to hold the drop rcleasablyin its normally-raised position.

llach latch-drop device onthe switchboard is in the circuit of a subscribel"s telephone, (indicated at r in Fig. 3},) so arranged that operating the telephone to call central will energize the circuit to effect release of the drop 1: to permit it to fall to its signaling position, and def-nergizing the circuit will release thearmature and permit the latch to assume its normal position for engaging the drop when raised.

The circuit shown in Fig. I; may be traced as follows: oy the wire I! from. one side of the telephone to the rod 5/, thence through the magnet to the rod IL, and from the latterto the switchboard-jacl represented conventionally at 1 in l ig. :3, adjacent to which is the opening for the insertion of the operators answering-plug, (not shown,) and from the jack a wire .1 leads to the other side of go the telephone. 13y inserting the ope-ratt-rrs answering-pl ug into the opening: it separates the jack from the line into exclude the drop from the talking-circuit,

\Vhen the snbseril'mrs telephone is oper-- ated, the circuit is energized and energizes the magnet to attract its armature s, thereby turning it on its bearing to lift the latch '10 4 switchboards, the combination of an electro- I switchboards, the combination of an electroclosing said magnet, an armature loosely supout of engagement with the drop 0, which when thus released falls by its own gravity to the signaling position.

As advantages of the construction of our improved latch drop the following may be particularly mentioned: With the armature loose and merely resting to rock on its bearing in thc'shield and with the magnet supported removably atits forward and rear ends the mag net may be readily removed for repairs from the switchboard and as readily replaced bya perfect one without material loss of time and Without attendant difficulty in readjusting the armature in place, and the shield thoroughly protects the magnet from dust.

\Vhat We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a latch -drop device for telephonemagnet, a shield inclosing said magnet, an armature loosely supported at its lower end on a bearing in the shield in front of the magnet-core, a latch projecting from the armature and a switchboanl-drop supported to be engaged by'said latch, substantially as described.

2. In a latch-drop device for telephonemagnet having a supporting-pin projecting from the forward end of its core, a shield inported at its lower end in a bearing in the shield in front of the magnet-core and having an opening through which said pin extends, 1

a latch projecting from the armature and a switchboard-drop supported to be engaged by said latch substantially as described.

3. In combination with a telephone-switchboard, havinga pivotal drop on its face, rods.

projecting from the back of the switchboard, an electromagnet, a shield inclosing said magnet, metallic terminal clips on the rear end of said magnet at which it is fastened tosaid rods to support it removably between them, an armature pivotally supported in the shield in front of the magnet-core, and a latch projecting from the armature through the switchboard to engage said drop, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a telephone switchboard having a pivotal drop on its face, rods projecting from the back of the switchboard, an electromagnet, a shield inclosin g said magnet, metallic terminal clips on the rear end of said magnet at which itis fastened to said rods to support it removably between them,

a supporting-pin projecting from the forward end of the magnet-core into the switchboard, an armature pivotally sdpported in the shield in front of said core and a latch on the armature projecting through the switchboard to engage said drop, substantially as described.

ERNEST E. YAXLEY. CHARLES C. (JADDEX.

In presence of- R. 'l. SPENCER, l). \V. LEE. 

